A blog that follows my physical and mental preparation for the ice hockey season and explores the links on how I draw from my hockey experiences to life in general.

Sunday, 14 March 2010

Tale of two Teams

Let me tell you a story of two teams, day and night. A story that will puzzle most and that has an ending similar to any M. Knight Shamalayan (or however his name is spelt) movie.

Chapter 1:Team Day:Once upon a time Team Day travelled to a dark and dreary place on the planet. The maps had marked the zone only as ‘Here there be evil’. The depressing surroundings of Gosport always sent a chill down the spine of any player who dared enter the domain. Whenever anyone arrived at the lair of the Scorpions, the short walk in to the lair often felt like needing to wear a stab vest, such were the surroundings and the trolls that lived in the area.

Valiantly ten men entered the rink. Knowing what lay ahead of them in a rink the size of most living rooms. Collision filled hockey in a place that any sensible country would’ve condemned years ago as unsafe for contact sports. Despite the game going back and forth and a few terrible mistakes, Team Day re-grouped and came out the gate fighting. Scorpions fought hard, but Team Day managed to snap the spine of the Scorpions and pulled away by 11-5 win. In a tight battle Team Day did everything right and did everything as they were supposed to and won.

Afterward, drinks flowed and Team Day that arrived at the Scorpion’s lair with a smile on their faces, left with an even bigger grin on their faces.

Chapter 2:Team Night:A week later Team Day had succumbed under a spell of something, something Dark Side. A game where the buzz of the previous victory still fresh one everyones mind and the Scorpion’s tail hanging on the changing room wall Team Day went to hunt for Panthers in the familiar surroundings.

However, where for a period and a half, Team Day showed some form, the spell descended and Team Day was turned into Team Night. Everything that the 10 valiant men did the week before, was thrown out the window. Where the previous win relied on team play and short changes, Team Night played with long shifts and as individuals. The Panthers mutilated Team Night with an ugly score line.

No smiles were shared, no drinks flowed. The happiness of last week was replaced with a dark void.

What a difference a few individuals make and what a difference of those individuals’ attitudes make to the good spirits of many.